Treating PCOS with Nutrition: Why Addressing Gut Health is Key
PCOS MEANING
This is an exciting topic for me. (Nerd alert!)
But for real - I was once diagnosed with PCOS, and so whenever I am studying it, or hear that someone I know is dealing with it, I light up! It's such an interesting topic to me, and has impacted my life on a deeply emotional level. It’s important to me that you know that I GET IT. More deeply than most, I am right there with you.
For those unfamiliar with the term, PCOS stands for Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome. It occurs when our body, for whatever reason (more on that later), cannot fully ovulate, meaning, the egg cannot fully break through the follicle wall and ovary wall into the fallopian tube. Instead, the egg remains in the ovary wall and creates a cyst. When this happens repeatedly, the ovary becomes covered in cysts.
The really heartbreaking part of female-bodied individuals who've been diagnosed with PCOS are often diagnosed while in the process of trying to conceive.
But why aren't our health care professionals looking into this when we come to them earlier on, with PCOS symptoms of irregular periods, cystic acne, blood sugar issues, weight gain, even pain...
Why do they just throw 'the pill' at us instead of investigating the root cause?
Why do we have to wait until the moment we are in a super vulnerable stage (anyone who's ridden the roller coaster of trying to conceive...), when we could have addressed it sooner?!
This, to me, is truly maddening.
And I want to tell you this now, as a qualified health professional: PCOS DOES NOT EQUAL INFERTILITY.
PCOS SYMPTOMS
If you have been given a PCOS diagnosis and have been advised to seek infertility treatments, know that you have other options. PCOS treatment does not involve petri dishes, hormone shots, egg extraction, etc..
If PCOS is THE causal factor in your infertility, it can be addressed dietarily, without the use of expensive infertility treatments.
PCOS IS NOT AN INFERTILITY CONDITION - IT IS A GUT ISSUE.
Read that again.
And whether or not you are trying to conceive, are done having kids, don't want kids - if you are a female-bodied person, then you, or someone you know, will probably encounter it at some point.
Before we really dig in, I want to briefly share my story as it relates to PCOS.
MY PCOS STORY
I was a "late bloomer" (first red flag), did not get my first period until I was 16 or 17. They were irregular from the start.
Add to that, I was pretty ignorant to how my body was supposed to function, anyways, due to my parents' beliefs in regards to teaching/talking about sex and reproductive health.
(Um, side note: Can we PLEASE normalize talking to kids about their bodies?!)
Cystic acne from my teen years and many years into adulthood, have always had excess belly and hip fat, difficulty losing weight, symptoms of low blood sugar, the works.
When I was 18 and my periods had not regulated, I got my first gynecological exam. I was given a prescription for 'the pill.' and was told that would regulate my cycle (and it did).
I didn't think anything of it, I just did what my doctor told me would solve the problem.
Fast forward to 2009(ish?), Mike & I decided we wanted to have children, so I came off the pill, and we started trying. I didn't have a period for months after coming off the pill, so, even though it's standard for OB/GYNs to tell you to try for 1 year before investigating, this got me on the fast track (yay?).
The OB ordered an ultrasound, and I was diagnosed with PCOS.
The OB gave me Clomid (my apologies to anyone who had to encounter me during this time). Clomid is a medication that stimulates an increase in hormones involved in ovulation.
When two rounds of Clomid were unsuccessful, we were left with the decision to come up with the money to pursue infertility treatment, or to just keep our fingers crossed.
We left that appointment with broken hearts, as that kind of money was truly foreign to us at the time.
The short story is, we never did have children (and are now very happy with our "choice" and lifestyle without children). We tried for many years before finally deciding to intentionally NOT have children a few years ago.
But since that roller coaster ride of wanting, and trying to, bear children, I have learned a lot about my diagnosis...
...and, I have overcome PCOS and regained my "fertility" because of it.
But this post is not about my story. It’s about YOURS.
Let's talk it out.
PCOS TREATMENT
PCOS occurs when there is an imbalance of hormones. Period.
This imbalance can be caused by a number of things: Pituitary dysfunction, adrenal dysfunction, toxic overload, liver dysfunction...
It often (not always) has very little to do with the ovaries themselves.
PCOS is the end result of other dysfunction in the body, and symptoms of PCOS can, and often do, make it difficult for a female to get pregnant. This is exactly why PCOS is NOT an infertility diagnosis.
Without giving you all the gritty details of the female reproductive system (although here is a great explanation for those who are interested), I'm going to briefly run through it.
Remember that this system requires our brain (hypothalamus) to communicate with the pituitary gland, which releases hormones to stimulate egg growth, which increases estrogen production, and once the egg matures and breaks through the ovary wall, then progesterone is produced. From there, we need our liver to detoxify the excess hormones that are now circulating throughout our body (yes, these hormones need a way out!).
Because other systems in our body use similar pathways, it is easy to create bottlenecks of dysfunction.
The most obvious example as it relates to PCOS, is blood sugar regulation. You might remember from an article I wrote recently in regards to blood sugar balance, that it is not just about what you eat. It, too, requires your hypothalamus to communicate with your pituitary gland, telling it to produce hormones, that travel to your adrenal glands, telling them to produce other hormones (epinephrine and cortisol), that stimulate the pancreas to release OTHER hormones.... (you get the idea).
When we are chronically stressed (meaning, our body produces cortisol more frequently than it needs to), or we overly consume sugar, processed foods, or medications (all of which need to be handled by our liver), we create dysfunction in other systems of our body.
THE GOOD NEWS IS…
Unless your body has an underlying dysfunction within your individual chemical makeup, all of these things can be addressed with dietary and lifestyle changes.
HOW COOL IS THAT!?
In other words, by supporting your liver, your adrenal glands, & the balance between the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, YOU CAN ADDRESS & OVERCOME PCOS SYMPTOMS.
And for those of you that have been told PCOS is the cause of your infertility, this is LIFE-CHANGING.
Effective treatment of PCOS symptoms starts by looking at the root cause. Here’s what individualized PCOS treatment means for you:
support weight loss in the belly/hips
regulate menstrual cycles
improve ovulation cycle
improve insulin sensitivity
prevent Type II Diabetes (many females with PCOS are insulin-resistant, predisposing them to diabetes)
improve skin clarity
Individual assessments with a holistic practitioner (with myself, or another provider you trust) are always my recommended first step for anyone looking to effectively target symptoms. Information about your lifestyle, eating habits, and medical history go a long way to effective PCOS treatment.
Individualized support can also be helpful for customizing workouts to maximize fat burn, while minimizing testosterone output, and introducing a customized fasting plan that will drastically support insulin response, both of which are strong players in the PCOS game. But neither of these components should be implemented or changed without consulting a qualified practitioner first.
That being said, there are ways to effectively support common PCOS symptoms with more foundational recommendations.
HOW TO FIGHT PCOS
Eat whole foods. Ditch anything that strays from its whole form in any way, as much as possible. Processed foods, and especially refined carbohydrates, lead to inflammatory conditions such as leaky gut, in addition to promoting insulin resistance.
Stop counting calories. You are not doing your body any favors by restricting how many calories are consumed. This is a temptation for many female-bodied individuals, especially because excess weight is often harder to shed with PCOS. The quality of food you consume carries more value than the amount of calories, in regards to hormone balance.
Regulate your blood sugar (here is a great article on how to do that). For many, it involves eating more quality fats & proteins each meal, increasing (whole) fiber, and decreasing the amount of starchy foods, grains, and sugars/sweeteners (yes, even 'low calorie'). Not only will this help your PCOS symptoms, you'll also get less "hangry" symptoms (your friends & family will thank you!)
Stop snacking. Eating more quality fats/proteins and fiber each meal will likely help you feel more satiated (satisfied) and not want to snack anyways. However, a conscious effort to not snack will help improve insulin sensitivity, which will support your adrenal glands and liver function.
SUPPLEMENTS TO SUPPORT PCOS
**it is always recommended that you consult with a health care practitioner prior to adding any supplements to your regimen. Taking supplements without addressing foundational factors (discussed above), is a waste of your money.
Myo-Inositol Plus (Bioclinic Naturals)- improves insulin response, and can help lower excess estrogens & testosterone.
HPA Adapt (Integrative Therapeutics)- supports the cohesion of the Hypothalamus, Pituitary, & Adrenal (HPA) axis
Calcium D-Glucarate (Integrative Therapeutics)- Supports the specific detox pathway, called glucuronidation, in the liver needed to deactivate and remove excess hormones, like estrogen and testosterone.
BroccoProtect (Designs for Health)- supports Phase II detox pathways in the liver. Females with PCOS often have sluggish Phase II detox pathways, and BroccoProtect helps to support these pathways to ensure the deactivation and removal of excess hormones.
Megaspore Probiotics (Microbiome Labs)- Introducing a good quality probiotic to support the elimination of excess hormones after they've been neutralized by the liver, is essential to making sure they don't get reabsorbed into your body. Elimination is key!
SHARE THE LOVE
What’s your PCOS story?
Share your thoughts on PCOS in the comments below, and help another PCOS warrior feel less alone.
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